Improvement in refrigerators



- 2 Sheets--Sheet 1. l. M. BLAI'SDELL.

' Refrigerators. N0 153,3() 7, Patentedluly 21,1874

WITNESSES I INVENTOR YH! GRAPHIC C0. FHOTO-LITHJDI +1 PARK PLACE,N.Y.

2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

Patented July 21,1874.

WINVENTOR.

WITNESSES ME GRAPHIC CQ.PHUTO'LITH 39&+I PARK PLACEJLY,

ice would be constantly diminishing.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIGE.

JOHN M. BLAISDELL, OF SANBORNTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

IMPROVEMENT lN R EFRIGERATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1 53,307, dated July21', 1874; application filed June 5, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. BLAISDELL, of Sanbornton, in the county ofBelknap and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Elevating Refrigerator; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which willenable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My present invention is an improvement upon a refrigerating-cupboard,patented to me January 16, 1872; and the novel features of the presentinvention consist in means for maintaining the balance of the elevatorin using ice. This I effect by combining with the elevator and itsrising and falling weights a suspended receiver and holder for the waterfrom the melting ice, so that the exact weight of the ice will betransferred from the top of the elevator to the suspended holder at thebottom, and in this way always keep the elevator at a balance, or nearlyso, as, if twenty pounds of ice be used as the balance, the watertherefrom is collected and made the means to give the elevator the sameweight to bal ance that of the movable weights of the chains whichconnect the elevator with the fixed frame.

In my patent aforesaid this can only be effected by the use of"additional weights in the weight-boxes; and as these weight-boxes arein the cellar it is found inconvenient at all times to reach them, andeven then the balance would be imperfect, as the weight of the Mypresent improvement, therefore, avoids this diflieulty by using thewater from the ice to maintain the balance which is so necessary inraising and lowering the elevator. Also, of a removable stepped pan forcollecting the vapors, provided with edge ribs on alternate sides of thezinc slats, to strengthen them and prevent the water from dripping overtheir edges, and an inclined trough at the rear of the series of slatsand mounted upon ways, whereby it may be withdrawn and cleaned andreadily inserted in place to form a junctionwith the ventilating-pipe,the dry air from which, in entering the refrigerator, is caused toimpinge upon the vapor-collecting slats, and thereby aid in keeping themdry.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a verticalcross-section of an elevator refrigerating-cupboard embracing myinvention Fig. 2, a similar view at right angles thereto; Figs. 3 and 4,top and sectional views of the stepped vapor-collector; and Fig. 5, a

front elevation with the refrigeratingelevator raised.

The frame of the refrigerating-elevator consists of two strong timbers,A A, secured to the flooring B, and extending down into the cellar orexcavation beneath the dwelling, and

joined by timbers to render them sufficient] y firm to form ways 0 forguides Don the sides of a refrigerating elevator arranged to be raisedand lowered between said timbers, and when depressed to form a cover, Ifor the opening within which it is fitted, flush with the flooring B,being countersunk in a recess therein. In this way therefrigerating-elevator is used beneath the floor of the diningroom. Itis lined with zinc, fitted with openbar shelves G and ice-pan H,'and'provided with separate doors II for the food-receiving compartment andthe ice-box, which is arranged at the top; and a pipe, J, located in onecorner, extends from the top to the bottom and is open at both ends,with openings to leading into each of the series of shelves forventilation and for conducting the water from the ice-pan. The upper endof this pipe is fitted with a rubber valve, 1), which may be closed whendesired, and when open the air rises and passes out in the space 0between the floorcover and the iceboX. There is an extension of thesides (1 beneath the bottom of the refrigerator, and through openings inthese a chain, K, passes over pulleys L arranged on the outer sides ofthe upper ends of the fixed timbers A, and are attached to the flooring, so as to suspend and carry weight-boxes M, by which therefrigerating-elevator is balanced, said boxes being suspended bysheaves 0, under which the chains pass and raise and lower the weightsby the raising and lowering of the elevator. This connection ofthe chainallows the weights to act evenly on both sides by the suspendingsheaves.

In using ice, however, the weights will not effect and maintain a properbalance of the elevator, and as this is important in a heavyrefrigerator I have combined therewith a receiver and holder, N, for thewater suspended beneath the elevator, so as to form a connection by acurved pipe, f, leading from the lower end of the discharge-pipe J, sothat the water from the meltingice passes into this suspended holder andis held to maintain the balance, not only during the melting of the ice,but afterit has all melted away. 111 efiecting this, say, twenty poundsof ice are used to balance the weighted boxes, and as the weight of theice decreases the diminution is transferred to the suspended receiver inexact weight, and the weight of the ice is kept up in water to renderthe refrige *ator easy of management at all times. In renewing the icethe water is drawn off or emptied. The condensed vapor from the warm airis collected by the zinc slats 9 arranged in a frame, h, in steps whichlap each other, and with their frame incline back, there being spacesbetween the lapping edges of each pair of slats for the free circulationof the air, and to allow the collected vapors to run from one slat tothe other, both from their upper and under sides, into an inclinedtrough, t', at the back, which, by a spout, j, connects with, andempties into, the discharging-pipe J, by which all the condensation fromthe vapors is carried off by the same pipe which discharges the waterfrom the ice and ventilate-s the re frigerator. The upper edges of thelapped steps 9 are bent over to form ribs is under the lapped edges, toprevent the dripping from the upper slats running over the front edgesand insure its passing back to the trough. They also prevent the saggingof the slats, and for this purpose they are also soldered together at apoint in the middle of their length and stiffened by ribs 1 on theirunder back edges, as it is very necessary to keep these slats straightand with even surfaces. The ends of the stepped slats are provided withlip m, so that the steps form a series of collectingtroughs discharginginto each other and into the passing-01f trough, and which may bewithdrawn from its inclined ways a like one of the shelves and cleaned.The refrigeratingdoors I I are provided with weighted latches whichfasten themselves with hooks s when the doors are closed.

I11 winter, when ice is not required, the weight-boxes are adjusted tomake the balance; and, instead of boxes, the ordinary scale-weights maybe used, in which the weights are put in place upon a suspending-r rod.

The suspended balancing water-holder may be provided with a cool: bywhich to draw oii' the water, or it may be removed and emptied, itssuspending-point being made by a handle, t, which hooks over a hook, a,on the under side of the refrigerator.

I claim- 1. In a refrigerating-elevator, the combina tion, with saidelevator, of a suspended water receiver and holder, N, thedischarge-pipe J, ice-pan H, and the balancing-weights M, as and for thepurpose described.

2. The removable stepped pan, provided with ribs 70 Z on alternate sidesof the zinc slats g, and an inclined trough, t, and spout j at the rearof the series of slats, and mounted upon ways a, as and for the purposeset forth.

3. The combination ot'theremovable stepped pans, constructed asdescribed, with the ventilating-pipe, with which it forms a connection,as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have aflixed mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN ill. BLAISDELL.

lVitnesses:

MosEs T. RUNvELs, ALFRED W. Anno'r'r.

